The Relationship between Selected Factors (Temperament, Bipolar Traits, Sleep Quality, Severity of Addiction) and Depressive Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Men.

Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between alcohol addiction and mood disorders. Alcohol-dependent patients with depression tend to demonstrate clinically more severe manic symptoms, which complicates the process of diagnosis and therapy. However, the predictors indicating the risk of mood disorders in addicted patients remain unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personal dispositions, bipolar traits, depth of addiction, quality of sleep, and depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent men. The study group comprised 70 men (age M = 46.06, SD = 11.29) diagnosed with alcohol addiction. The participants completed a battery of questionnaires: BDI, HCL-32, PSQI, EPQ-R and MAST. The results were tested using Pearson's correlation quotient and general linear model. The findings indicate that some of the studied patients are likely to have mood disorders of clinically significant severity. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Among the components of sleep quality, problems with falling asleep and waking up at night appear to be most strongly associated with depressive symptoms. The intensity of depressive symptoms may relate to the intensity of certain bipolar features, such as risk-taking activity and irritability. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in the studied group.

Chronotype and poor sleep quality in young adults - a pilot study on the role of rumination.

BACKGROUND: Eveningness has been associated with poor sleep quality and depression. However, chronotype has also been shown to be a multidimensional construct, not limited to a merely morningness-eveningness orientation. It has also been proposed that other factors may also mediate the relationship between chronotype and its mental health sequelae. This pilot study explores the role of rumination as a mediator between chronotype and sleep quality, chronotype and depressive symptoms. METHODS: A sample of 144 participants completed The Morningness-Eveningness-Stability-Scale Improved (MESSi), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)). The results were tested using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression and the Sobel test. RESULTS: Rumination was linked to poor sleep quality and increased depression. Morning affect and Distinctness (i.e. rigidity, or the subjective amplitude of the circadian rhythm) correlated with rumination. Rumination was a partial mediator of the associations between Morning Affect and sleep quality, Morning Affect and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Rumination may play a role in the association between chronotype (particularly Morning Affect and Distinction) and sleep quality and depression. The recognition of this association might serve as a basis for clinical psychoeducational and therapeutic programs targeting both adjustment of the circadian rhythm and rumination as a psychopathological sign.

Stress responses in high-fidelity simulation among anesthesiology students.

Simulation sessions can produce high-fidelity emergency situations that facilitate the learning process. These sessions may also generate a complex stress response in the learners. This prospective observational study assessed psychological, physiological, immunological, and humoral levels of stress during high-fidelity simulation training. Fifty-six undergraduate medicine students who took part in a medical simulation session were assigned team roles (physician, nurse or assistant). Subsequently, each participant was assessed before the scenario (T0), after the procedure (T1), and two hours later (T2). Psychological stress and anxiety were measured at T0 and T1, using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (DSSQ). Cortisol, testosterone, secretory immunoglobulin class A (sIgA), alpha-amylase, and oxygen saturation level were measured at T0, T1, and T2, as was the physiological response indicated by heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). It was found that the onset of task performance was related to increased anticipatory worry and higher oxygen saturation. The participants reported decreased worry, followed by increased emotional distress after the simulation training (T1). Participants trait anxiety predicted the intensity of worry, distress and task engagement. In contrast, no clear relationships were found between trait anxiety and biological stress markers. Testosterone levels were growing significantly in each phase of measurement, while physiological responses (BP, HR) increased at T1 and declined at T2. The levels of stress markers varied depending on the assigned roles; however, the trajectories of responses were similar among all team members. No evidence for prolonged cortisol response (T1, T2) was found based on psychological stress at the onset of simulation (T0). Regression analysis followed by receiver operating characteristics analyses showed uncertain evidence that initial state anxiety and worry predicted the levels of sIgA. Medical students are relatively resilient in terms of stress responses to medical simulation. The observed stress patterns and interrelationships between its psychological, physiological, hormonal, and immunological markers are discussed in accordance with theoretical concepts, previous research work, and further recommendations.

Gaming Behaviors among Polish Students with Visual Impairment.

The access of people with disabilities to digital solutions promotes their inclusion and participation in many aspects of life. Computer games based on hearing or haptic devices have been gaining popularity among persons with visual impairment (VI), and players tend to display improved spatial and abstract reasoning skills, as well as better social interaction and self-confidence, after playing these games. However, a recent survey suggested that excessive gaming could represent a public health concern as a harmful form of behavior in young people associated with risk factors of negative psychosomatic and physical complaints. Young persons with VI are regular users of various technologies, but little is still known about their media patterns. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of the variables associated with gaming for adolescents with VI. The participants were 490 students, aged 13-24 years, from special schools for students with VI. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The current survey indicated a tendency towards excessive gaming in a significant proportion of young persons with VI. Sociodemographic variables are important in predicting gaming prevalence or screen time, but further research focused on establishing possible mediators (such as parental attitudes towards media) are necessary for identifying problematic gaming behaviors among students with VI.

Correlates of respiratory admissions frequency in patients with obstructive lung diseases: coping styles, personality and anxiety. / Profil osobowosci, poziom leku i style radzenia sobie ze stresem a liczba hospitalizacji i konsultacji specjalistycznych u osób z chorobami obturacyjnymi pluc.

OBJECTIVES: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with a huge financial burden on the budget and healthcare in the world. Personality traits, ways of coping with stress and anxiety levels affect the functioning of sick people. Objective of the study was to evaluate correlation between those features and the frequency of hospital and outpatient clinic admissions among people with chronic pulmonary diseases. METHODS: Participants (n=100) with asthma and COPD were subjected to: a sociodemographic urvey, NEO-FFI Personality Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Brief COPE Inventory. RESULTS: There was a relationship between the hospital admission frequency and neuroticism (positive correlation). The frequency of visits to the outpatient clinic was positively correlated with the level of conscientiousness, use of emotional support and negatively with cessation of action. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results may indicate the need to offer patients with respiratory diseases psychotherapeutic activities aimed at building a more constructive functioning, reducing anxiety, increasing the sense of control.

The Predictive Role of Positive Mental Health for Attitudes Towards Suicide and Suicide Prevention: Is the Well-Being of Students of the Helping Professions a Worthwhile Goal for Suicide Prevention?

This study evaluates the potential value of eudaimonic well-being in assessing pro-preventive orientation towards suicide and recognizing suicide as a solution. The aim was to integrate positive and negative conceptualizations of mental health for predicting attitudes towards suicide, and towards suicide prevention, among students of the helping professions. The study participants (166 women and 73 men, mean age 22.84 ± 5.15) answered a set of questionnaires, including a Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Suicide, Goldberg Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB-42) and Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Multiple regression analysis showed that environmental mastery, purpose in life and positive relationships, controlled for religiousness and psychological problems related to general mental health, predicted the variability of attitudes towards suicide and pro-preventive orientation. Sociodemographic variables were not related to attitudes towards suicide. Our findings suggest that positive mental health, represented jointly by low mental health problems and eudaimonic components of happiness, plays a role in predicting pro-preventive attitudes. Therefore, improving positive mental health among students in the helping professions, these being the future gatekeepers, could be considered an auxiliary strategy for suicide prevention.

Psychometric Properties of the Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire.

Only a few questionnaires are available for measuring attitude towards suicide as a unidimensional construct, i.e. emphasizing acceptance or disapproval of the suicidal act under a set of difficult life circumstances. The aim of this study was to develop the Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ) and examine its psychometric properties. A group of 177 Psychology, Medicine and Law students completed the SAQ, Attitudes Towards Suicide questionnaire and a demographic survey. Exploratory factor analysis found the SAQ to have a single factor structure, explaining 55.49% of variance, with high goodness of fit. Owing to the nature of explicit attitudes, the SAQ may have limited power in predicting behavior. The findings indicate that the SAQ demonstrates appropriate reliability and concurrent validity for measuring the acceptance of suicide act. Future research with use of confirmatory factor analysis is needed for determining whether the proposed construct fits data.

Location of lesions versus intensity of psychopathological symptoms in patients with skin diseases. / Lokalizacja zmian skórnych a nasilenie objawów psychopatologicznych u pacjentów z chorobami skóry.

OBJECTIVES: The location of skin lesions may be a significant psychological factor in dermatological disease. The study assesses the correlation between the location of skin lesions and the intensity of psychopathological symptoms. The analysis considers various effects including the tendency for deliberate concealment of lesions and subjective feelings of being stigmatized. METHODS: The study included 150 patients (M = 46.14; SD = 17.28) treated for various skin complaints. Patients were divided into 3 equal groups according to the location of skin lesions: all over body, on covered or exposed body parts. The intensity of psychopathological symptoms was measured with the SCL-90. Demographic data and disease-related characteristics were collected by means of a questionnaire developed for the present study. RESULTS: The relationship between the location of skin lesions and the severity of some psychopathological symptoms was observed, especially among patients treated only for skin diseases. Patients' mental condition can be indirectly influenced by their inclination to deliberately hide lesions, as well as by their subjective experience of hostility from their environment. CONCLUSIONS: The most severe psychopathological symptoms were observed in the patients with skin lesions all over their bodies. The patients with lesions on visible body parts are characterized by a higher intensity of "interpersonal sensitivity" when compared to those with lesions on the covered body parts. The opposite trend was observed for the remaining SCL-90 variables. The obtained results can prompt further direction of research which takes into consideration the share of psychosocial factors in the functioning of dermatological patients.

The online behavior of pupils with visual impairment: A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Young people with special educational needs are also users of new media. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether pupils with visual impairment spend more time on Internet use than pupils without visual impairment and whether youngsters from the study group are engaged in behaviors which could increase risk of problematic Internet use. METHODS: The study is based on a total of 191 pupils: a study group of 66 partially-sighted pupils and a control group comprised 125 pupils who do not have visual impairment. A self-report questionnaire was constructed for the needs of this study. RESULTS: Pupils with visual impairment spent significantly less time on Internet use than their peers from the reference groups. Twice as many pupils from the study group as controls reported no symptoms suggesting potentially problematic Internet use. In addition, the study group more frequently used online social networking services and e-mails or used the Internet for assignments. CONCLUSIONS: Little difference exists between students with visual impairment and those without with regard to Internet use.

Personality traits, level of anxiety and styles of coping with stressin people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a comparative analysis. / Cechy osobowosci, poziom leku i style radzenia sobie ze stresem u osób chorych na astme oskrzelowa i przewlekla obturacyjna chorobe pluc ­ analiza porównawcza.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are a challenge to public health, with the sufferers experiencing a range of psychological factors affecting their health and behavior. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of anxiety, personality traits and stress-coping ability of patients with obstructive lung disease and comparison with a group of healthy controls. METHODS: The research was conducted on a group of 150 people with obstructive lung diseases (asthma and COPD) and healthy controls (mean age = 56.0 ± 16.00). Four surveys were used: a sociodemographic survey, NEO-FFI Personality Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Brief Cope Inventory. Logistic regression was used to identify the investigated variables which best differentiated the healthy and sick individuals. RESULTS: Patients with asthma or COPD demonstrated a significantly lower level of conscientiousness, openness to experience, active coping and planning, as well as higher levels of neuroticism and a greater tendency to behavioral disengagement. Logistic regression found trait-anxiety, openness to experience, positive reframing, acceptance, humor and behavioral disengagement to be best at distinguishing people with lung diseases from healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need for intervention in the psychological functioning of people with obstructive diseases.

The Interrelationships of Coping Styles and Professional Burnout Among Physiotherapists: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Burnout is a pathological syndrome in which emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DEP), and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment (PA) develop in response to prolonged occupational stress. Those working in the physiotherapy profession appear to be at risk for professional burnout brought on by the specific character of the medical professions, involving continuous contact with patients and associated stress, as well as poor working conditions. However, literature data concerning the scale of professional burnout and its psychosocial correlates remain scarce. The aim of the present study was to assess the scale of professional burnout among physiotherapists and to determine the interrelationships between coping styles and burnout symptoms. The sample consisted of 117 professionally active physiotherapists (90 women and 27 men) aged 21 to 55 years (mean [M] 31.88, standard deviation [SD] = 9.14, responsiveness rate of 80.6%) from randomly selected medical institutions of the Lodz Region. The study was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by Endler and Parker. Demographic and job-related data on the respondents were also collected. Task-oriented coping correlated negatively with DEP, EE, and low PA, in contrast to emotion-oriented coping. No correlation was found between avoidance-oriented coping and burnout symptoms. Similarly, no interactive correlations between coping styles and particular burnout symptoms were confirmed. Coping styles correlate independently with professional burnout, without any mutual correlations. Physiotherapists employing a wider spectrum of task-oriented strategies are slightly more satisfied with their job. The incidence of burnout syndrome in the analyzed group is similar to that observed in other medical professions and requires the adoption of preventive measures.

Religiousness, religious coping with illness, and psychological function among Polish elderly patients with osteoarthritis undergoing arthroplasty.

To determine the influence of religious coping and religiousness on the psychological functioning of Polish patients before and after arthroplasty, a prospective study was performed. Out of a pool of 102 potential participants, a total of 61 (34 females, 27 males) completed a purposely created survey, Brief-COPE followed by preoperative and postoperative Perceived Stress Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Religious coping was not associated with: (1) perceived stress before or after surgery; (2) preoperative or postoperative anxiety; (3) life satisfaction. A two-factor ANOVA has shown that religious coping controlled by religiousness was related to better psychological functioning. Between- and within-subjects effects were observed for improvement in life satisfaction measured by split-plot ANOVA, which suggests (p < 0.05) that such improvement was greater among subjects of higher religious orientation. We concluded that religious strategies in dealing with stress measured by Brief-COPE were least likely to benefit patients of low-religious orientation. The study demonstrated the importance of core religious beliefs in predicting benefits derived from religiousness in the face of a crisis. This study showed that regardless of its effectiveness, turning to religion is common among Polish patients about to undergo surgery for osteoarthritis of the hip.